Not to be Outdone, Hershey Releases Their Own Canine Calendar

The cover of this year's Hershey Bears Canine Calendar. All images in this post come from the calendar, and are intentionally poor quality/resolution. For high quality versions, the purchase information for the calendar can be found at the end of this post.

In recent days, news of the Capitals-with-Dogs calendar has made the rounds since its release at Friday’s game. What’s less well known is that the Hershey Bears annually put out their own dog calendar in partnership with UDS Service Dogs, and it’s got a distinct AHL flair (S/T to Rink Rebel for the reminder to clarify that Hershey’s been doing it for years longer than the Caps).

Below the jump, find a few select highlight images and a dash of color commentary.

Of the images selected for this post, this one was a no-brainer. It has a couple of selling points, really. The first is that it features that cliché of flip-flops on the ice that is found in hockey rinks everywhere. The other, and perhaps broader in appeal, is the stunning illustration of the height differential between the average pro hockey player (played here by Kyle Greentree, whom we hope to soon see in the lineup again soon) and our two scoring leaders (Keith Aucoin and Chris Bourque):

Bourque (#2 Scorer in the AHL), Greentree, and Aucoin (#1 Scorer in the AHL) pose with members of the UDS canine contingent (Month: February).

While this year’s Hershey calendar has a number of differences from the Caps version, the two most notable are the number of models used and the inclusion (or lack thereof) of player-owned dogs. The Capitals called on twelve of their players for their calendar, and only three of them borrowed companions from the Washington Animal Rescue League, their partner organization for the project.

In deference to the Capitals leanings of the Caps Outsider readership, the obligatory pictures of Braden Holtby & Cody Eakin are included (Months: November, April)

In addition to the broad range of two-legged talent Hershey wrangled in front of the camera, there is the four-legged crew to consider as well. In direct contrast to the Capitals, all dogs pictured in the Hershey calendar are affiliated with UDS.

Yes, that is a dog drinking from the Calder Cup. Learning to be a service dog is hard work! And before you get too upset, keep in mind that worse things have happened to the Stanley Cup (Month: May).

The calendars will available at Bears home games during the month of December at the UDS table. They can also be purchased online through the UDS Website. The cost is $10, and you get the bonus of a smattering of awkward Holtby-with-Dog images and a collection of out-takes scattered in and around the more classically posed photos. Whether that’s better or worse than Roman Hamrlik channeling his inner Eastern European Gangster (we all know what the Miniature Pinscher really means), well, your mileage may vary. Perhaps Michal Neuvirth and Graham Mink would better serve as determining factors

Whichever direction your interests might lie, both calendars are a good way to support different facets of the same great cause: improving quality of life through the care, training, and placement of dogs within our communities.

Writer

M. Richter

Em is a fan of hockey first and individual teams second, with geographical ties that cross the NHL. She was born in the Midwest, raised along the East Coast, and graduated from a university in Western Canada. A firm believer in context above all else, and a card-carrying on-ice official with USA Hockey, she splits her time between the big picture and the details.
When not covering the AHL and ECHL for Caps Outsider, her photography can be found on Behance and Flickr. She also occasionally chimes in about the Hershey Bears on the Power Play Post Show.